This initiative was started by a previous SGA President who felt that, given the isolating and lonely nature of completing a degree online, our students deserved more recognition for their consistently high academic achievement while managing the competing priorities of everyday life. The Spirit Award is given to any student whose GPA in at least two terms over the course of a year was substantial enough to get them on the Dean’s List for their respective college. In 2026, the Spirit Award certificate was sent to over 4,600 students, with personal congratulations provided to each recipient by their major’s respective Dean.
The SGA's Refuel Initiative was developed in response to satisfaction data from students. In 2025, ERAU Institutional Research found that one of the most frequent pieces of feedback site-attending students gave was a lack of access to vending machines. Because of this, the SGA allocated a portion of their budget to provide coffee, water, and snacks to students who need something to eat and drink during their evening classes. Currently available at the Ft. Lauderdale and San Diego sites, the SGA is expanding the Initiative to more locations as a testament to their commitment to students' academic and personal wellbeing.
The Ground Support Initiative provides funding to Worldwide Site Locations to promote student engagement activities for those attending classes in-person. In 2025, students from the Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Orlando sites were able to visit the main ERAU campus in Daytona Beach, FL, and students from the San Diego, CA site were able to attend a baseball game with the Worldwide Dean of Students and other administrators present for graduation. The Ground Support Initiative is most commonly utilized by SGA Ambassadors, who you can learn more about here(link).
